In March 2025, Kudwa, in collaboration with New Women Connectors, hosted the first session in the Migrants Shaping the EU Future webinar series—opening up a space for dialogue, reflection, and critical questioning of the newly adopted EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.
The session was not a typical webinar. It was a space by and for migrants, grounded in lived experience, designed to simplify the complex and often inaccessible language of EU policy. Migrants, policy experts, and community members came together not only to understand the Pact, but to reimagine the kind of Europe we want to live in.
What We Heard
Participants shared deep concerns about the Pact’s heavy emphasis on control, deterrence, and externalisation, often at the expense of human dignity, protection, and rights. Many spoke about being excluded from decision-making, while constantly being asked to share personal stories in tokenistic ways.
There was strong criticism of the monetisation of solidarity—especially the €20,000 “opt-out” fee allowing Member States to avoid receiving asylum seekers—as well as fears over cooperation with regimes known for human rights violations.
The session also highlighted a major gap: the absence of serious efforts to promote inclusion of migrants in the EU already, legal pathways, or regularisation for undocumented people. Even for those with citizenship, the sense of being “foreign” remains, as a result of the new adopted policies.
Despite all this, what emerged from the session was a sense of collective strength and purpose. Ideas were exchanged—from monitoring borders to forming coalitions. There was a shared belief: change is possible.
Our Policy Reflection
To capture this rich and important dialogue, we’ve published a Policy Reflection that summarizes key insights, critical questions, and actionable recommendations.
The document includes:
✔ Perspectives from migrants on how these policies impact real lives
✔ Critical questions about power, accountability, and oversight
✔ A set of recommendations for EU and national policymakers
Why This Matters Now
The Pact has entered its implementation phase, with national governments preparing to translate EU-level reforms into domestic policies. But it’s not too late to shape what that looks like.
This is a crucial moment to ensure that migrant voices are not just included, but centered in how policies are monitored, adapted, and held accountable.
What’s Next?
This was just the beginning. Throughout 2025, the Migrants Shaping the EU Future series will continue to explore other EU policies—like the Anti-Racism Action Plan, the Green Deal, and more—from a migrant perspective.
Stay tuned. Join the conversation. Help us build a Europe that works for all of us.
